Themed collection World Cancer Day 2026: Showcasing cancer research across the RSC

An overview of MeSNs for photo-enhanced chemodynamic theranostics of tumors is provided in this review, offering insights into their potential for next-generation cancer treatments.

This review highlights iron-based nanozymes including iron oxides, single-atom nanozymes, and MOFs that induce ferroptosis via ROS generation and Fenton chemistry, achieved by POD-, CAT-, OXD- and SOD-like activities.

In this review, we summarize five different types of pillar[5]arene-based nanomaterials and their applications in chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and multimodal synergistic therapy for tumors.

In this review, we present the recent progress on transition metal dichalcogenide-based composites, including their typical categories, key fabrication strategies, and transformative roles in the field of cancer therapy.

Small molecules targeting activating mutations within the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are efficacious anticancer agents, particularly in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The review highlights intersection of cutting-edge nanocarrier-based drug delivery, surface modification of nanocarriers, immunotherapeutic interventions, and combined therapeutic approaches, which are critical for advancing glioblastoma treatment.

Cancer is a major health challenge that is accountable for a large percentage of disease-related deaths worldwide.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging tools in cancer diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutics.

This review summarizes intracellular metal ion-inducing chemical reactions and their mechanisms for triggering programmed cell death (PCD) in cancer cells and discusses the challenges and opportunities of PCD in cancer cells.

The goal of this review is to provide a clear and authoritative resource for type I PDT, including its standardized definitions, mechanisms, molecular designs, determination methods, and clinical applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

This review overviews the state-of-the-art cancer-on-a-chip technology for tumor microenvironment modeling and therapy screening, and outlines the path to develop next generation of chip for precision cancer medicine.

A disaggregation-induced emission-active photosensitizer enables type I-to-type II photochemical conversion and induces site-specific oxidative damage upon G-quadruplex complexation.

Click-triggered reactivation of caged cytokine constructs at the tumour site via a Diels–Alder–pyridazine-elimination cascade restores signalling and immune activation. This approach reduces systemic toxicity of immunocytokine therapies.

Judiciously combined modality approaches have proved highly effective for treating most forms of cancer, including glioblastoma. Created in BioRender. Mendes, M. (2025) https://BioRender.com/z98a881.

A novel therapeutic formulation, 5-ALA-containing polymeric mixture (5-AP), is disclosed to deliver 5-ALA to deep melanoma tumor sites transdermally.

Triphenyl phosphonium conjugated amphiphilic peptides are self-assembled into micelles that show potential antimicrobial activity against drug resistant strains.

A precisely structured framework nucleic acid-programmed aptamer–paclitaxel conjugate with well-defined paclitaxel loading dose is fabricated, enabling the regulation of receptor–aptamer affinity to facilitate tumor-targeted chemotherapy.

Smart light-responsive 3D printable hydrogels were developed by using poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles as both visible light photoinitiators and photosensitizers to trigger the overproduction of ROS for photodynamic therapies.

A water-soluble cationic [2]biphenyl-extended pillar[6]arene (CBpExP₆) was synthesized, forming a stable 1 : 1 complex with hemin to enhance its stability for cancer CDT/PDT applications.

We developed a dual-channel fluorescent probe (HDQ-NA-AFU-Gal) for the simultaneous and non-interfering detection of β-galactosidase and α-L-fucosidase for accurate identification of senescent cells.

NIR activatable, self-degradable iridium(III)–dithiocarbamate–cyanine complexes were synthesized. They act as type I and type II PDT agent at ultra-low-power irradiation and at high laser power, they exhibited photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT).

A novel all-in-one phototheranostics OTAB was synthesized by modifying the donor and regulating the band gap for NIR-II imaging-guided synergistic type-I PDT/PTT therapy.

A liquid crystal biosensor with folic acid–gold nanoparticles (FA@GNPs) enables ultrasensitive, label-free detection of colon and breast cancer cells. Cell binding disturbs LC alignment, creating an optical signal for simple early diagnosis.

Flame-made SPIONs functionalized with mPEG demonstrated theranostic efficacy in vitro and in vivo, enabling MRI-guided hyperthermia and colorectal tumor regression.

An organ-on-a-chip platform to innervate organoids by first developing innervated granular hydrogel tissue constructs and sequentially adding organoids.

Injectable hydrogels with self-healing properties, tissue adhesion, biocompatibility, and cancer therapeutic capabilities offer a promising solution for addressing bone loss and residual tumor cells following surgical resection of osteosarcoma.

Light-induced antibacterial effects aim to overcome the limitations of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and provide an effective solution for wound healing applications.

Gold nanoparticles were efficiently synthesized using linear peptides consisting of Trp & Arg residues, where (W4R4)-capped AuNPs exhibited efficient siRNA internalization, and Src protein silencing in MCF-7 cells.

GTB-DAS·2H₂O and GTB-DAS CM were comparatively investigated, and GTB-DAS·2H₂O shows superior stability, tabletability, and dissolution performance, making it a more promising and reliable solid form for the development of combinational therapy.

A lateral flow assay integrated with leukocyte isolation and on-filter cell lysis for the detection of PML–RARα nuclear fusion oncoprotein at point-of-care.

The single domain antibody, I3, interacts with fibroblast activation protein alpha through its CDR3 loop and FR2 region to bind a unique and previously undisclosed epitope that is distinct from the protease's active site.

This study introduces a novel and efficient approach for constructing stimulus-responsive polycarbonates with tunable stimulus sensitivity by tailoring nanoparticle core hydrophobicity.

A novel folic acid-conjugated, iron-based metal framework MIL-101 (Fe) MOF loaded with 1,8-acridinediones (DO8) was developed for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT).

The described spheroid-on-chip model combines drug testing and immune cell infiltration, allowing the evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies by mimicking and targeting the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC.

Synthesis of novel fungal polysaccharide-based nanoemulsions for biocompatibility and targeted cancer therapy.

A QCL microscope is compared to a state-of-the-art FTIR system and is found to capture prostate tissue data twenty times faster, with greater signal to noise, and improved tissue classification, paving the way for clinical adoption.

Schematic representation of clinical and pre-clinical workflow settings for light controlled release of PLGA NPs for breast cancer treatment. Created in BioRender.com. Vanni, S. (2025) https://BioRender.com/r11b297.

Biochemical and FTIR approaches to discriminate ovarian cancer cell-derived EVs.

We demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy is a viable tool for ovarian cancer assessment.

Fluorescent probes with viscosity and pH responsiveness can target the mitochondria of cancer cells for cellular imaging, used for the auxiliary detection of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

Bovine serum albumin nanoparticles synthesized via a modified desolvation method exhibit superior long-term stability in aqueous dispersion. Glucose investigated as a “green” alternative crosslinker.

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) regulates eukaryotic gene expression through dynamic phosphorylation of its C-terminal domain (CTD).

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with enhanced magnetic properties were produced by combining a chemical process and heat treatment, resulting in improved heating effects and reduced cancer cell survival during magnetic hyperthermia assays.

A copolymer (PVA-g-PEG) of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was synthesized by grafting PEG chains onto PVA backbone to prepare the silver nanoparticles/polymer composite (AgNPs).

An innovative design strategy for the synthesis of the benzothiazole–sulfonate conjugate 6i.

This research demonstrates the design and development of a novel dual-targeting, pH-sensitive liposomal (pSL) formulation of 5-fluorouracil, i.e., (5-FU-iRGD-FA-pSL) to manage breast cancer.

Novel L-cystine-based polyamide nanoparticles were designed for efficient lung anticancer drug delivery. Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo characterization was conducted to evaluate the nanoparticles’ performance.

Radiosensitization by AuNPs depends on size and coating, with PEG-capped nanoparticles increasing ¹O₂ production and surpassing citrate-capped counterparts, especially for smaller particles.

A novel series of naphthoquinones with cancer cell-specific cytotoxicity have been developed. These compounds display increased cytotoxicity towards cancer cells over normal cells in vitro.

This study introduces a novel class of palladium-based compounds that uniquely induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) through thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) inhibition, demonstrating robust anticancer potential across various cell lines.